The Spring of the Ram cover art

The Spring of the Ram

The House of Niccolo 2

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The Spring of the Ram

By: Dorothy Dunnett
Narrated by: John Banks
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About this listen

Penguin presents the audiobook edition of The Spring of the Ram by Dorothy Dunnett, read by John Banks.

In 1461, the mysterious enigmatic Nicholas is in Florence. Backed by none other than Cosimo de' Medici, he will sail the Black Sea to Trebizond, last outpost of Byzantium, and the last jewel missing from the crown of the Ottoman Empire. But trouble lies ahead. Nicholas's step-daughter - at the tender age of thirteen - has eloped with his rival in trade: a Machiavellian Genoese who races ahead of Nicholas, sowing disaster at every port. And time is of the essence: Trebizond may fall tot he Turks at any moment. Crackling with wit, breathtakingly paced, THE SPRING OF THE RAM is a pyro technic blend of scholarship and narrative shimmering with the scents, sounds, colors and combustible emotions of the 15th century.

 Action & Adventure Genre Fiction Historical Historical Fiction Medieval Political Fiction Middle Ages Romance Imperialism

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Critic reviews

Praise for Dorothy Dunnett

(-)
A storyteller who could teach Scheherazade a thing or two about pace, suspense and imaginative invention (-)

Marvellous, breathtaking

(-)
A masterpiece of historical fiction (-)
One of the greatest tale-spinners since Dumas (-)
Lashings of excitement, colour and subtlety (-)
Vivid, engaging, densely plotted - are almost certainly destined to be counted among the classics of popular fiction (-)
All stars
Most relevant
I loved following the exploits of Nicholas as he develops his wife's business overseas, pitting his wits against his rival Pagano Doria, plying his trade in the dying days of the Byzantine empire.

Intrigue and high drama!

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An unsurpassed author, and a wonderful journey. Books that can be read again and again with joy.

Fabulous

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A great Follow on book. Twists when you do not expect them. Characters are established now. Narration perfect.

Very Good

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Another superb book from DD. Can’t wait to get on to the next book. And registering.

Again, superb.

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Left at a loose end after the shattering conclusion to his Trebizond venture, assorted people seek to induce Nicolas to lend them his talents, and Nicholas refuses all of them, choosing instead to join his company's mercenary leader, Astorre, in fighting the war in Naples. Kidnapped and taken to the island of Cyprus, Nicholas is initially steadfast in his refusal to support either side in the war of succession between Queen Carlotta and the pretender, James, but soon finds various reasons, mostly cynical, one of them plain revenge, to pick a side, assuming he can keep himself and his army alive long enough.

Action, adventure, schemes and plots, high and low romance, family feuds and epic battles and highly devious murder attempts enliven his stay in Cyprus, but then these sorts of things tend to follow him around, or lie in wait for him. Brilliantly entertaining.

Trebizond

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